


Whenever I Think About You

by heavydeviantkinkster



Series: BruDick AU Where All the Titles are Early 2000's Pop Lyrics [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Backstory, Bipolar Disorder, Brief Mention of a Mental Hospital, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Establishing the Timeline, M/M, Mental Illness, Not Incest, Slash, Yes Capes, mentions of suicidal ideation, no kinks in this one, so safe for everyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-30 21:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19412206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heavydeviantkinkster/pseuds/heavydeviantkinkster
Summary: Bruce is eight when he watches his parents die. Nine when he speaks for the next time. He's ten when he convinces Alfred to sign him up for martial arts, eleven when he gets a junior black belt, and twelve when he gets into a fight at school so bad he gets kicked out.Then, at thirteen, he meets Dick Grayson, and his world changes. Dick, who speaks in broken English. Dick, who has been home-schooled because he can't sit still or pay attention. Dick, who is unafraid of him. Dick, who's been living with his aunt since he watched his parents fall to their deaths. And suddenly, things are brighter. There's happiness there again, while Bruce sneaks away during recess to eat his lunch with Dick. When he invites Dick over and they get lost in the forest outside of Wayne manor. Dick does things like surprising him for his birthday with a homemade card, sneaking out of his aunt's house so they can stargaze together, and filling the tense silences with words and songs in a beautiful language. Bruce is thirteen-and-a-half when he decides he's in love with Dick Grayson.





	Whenever I Think About You

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go! This whole thing is basically me setting up a timeline for the other stories to take place.

Bruce is eight when he watches his parents die. Nine when he speaks for the next time. He's ten when he convinces Alfred to sign him up for martial arts, eleven when he gets a junior black belt, and twelve when he gets into a fight at school so bad he gets kicked out. 

Then, at thirteen, he meets Dick Grayson, and his world changes. Dick, who speaks in broken English. Dick, who has been home-schooled because he can't sit still or pay attention. Dick, who is unafraid of him. Dick, who's been living with his aunt since he watched his parents fall to their deaths. And suddenly, things are brighter. There's happiness there again, while Bruce sneaks away during recess to eat his lunch with Dick. When he invites Dick over and they get lost in the forest outside of Wayne manor. Dick does things like surprising him for his birthday with a homemade card, sneaking out of his aunt's house so they can stargaze together, and filling the tense silences with words and songs in a beautiful language he’s never heard before. Bruce is thirteen-and-a-half when he decides he's in love with Dick Grayson.

It’s a good decision. The kind of decision that leads Alfred to befriend Dick’s Aunt Harriet. With that, it’s easy to convince her Dick would do well in the kind of learning environment Lakewell Special Education Middle School provides. And soon, Dick is going to school just a few short blocks away from Bruce’s high school. They’re practically inseparable, with Bruce waiting an hour every day for Dick to finish up school so he can walk him home or to the Manor. Bruce teaches him to fight, helps him improve his English, and works through any assignments with him. Dick responds by teaching him to feel, to draw enjoyment from things again. He sings in Romani until Bruce can join in. Bruce gives him the money for acrobatics sessions three times a week and sets up a trapeze (with a net, of course) in the Manor’s gym. Dick gives Bruce his first kiss the night before he begins eighth grade.

Dick’s eighth grade year declines after that, for no reason anyone else can figure out. By November, the Behavioral Health Response Team is called to the school to investigate his mental state after a tutor finds a torn up suicide note in her garbage. Dick withdraws, refusing to leave the house, and Bruce ends up at his house more days than not trying to get him to eat or do anything other than stare at the ceiling. Over Christmas break, he’s involuntarily hospitalized for nonstop suicidal ideation and sent to a specialized ward. Bruce begs to pay for treatment, and when Harriet refuses, he begins sneaking to the ward at night, where he can climb the fire escape in the alley to whisper to Dick through the inch of opened window. He tells Dick about his idea to patrol the city in costume, and Dick whispers suggestions back. Dick comes out with a diagnosis of Bipolar I and a healthy helping of PTSD, plus a prescription for a mood stabilizer and antipsychotic. Dick tells no one when Bruce begins to establish the plan. The Batman appears for the first time in the summer before Dick begins highschool at Gotham Academy and Bruce enters his junior year, though he is significantly less impressive due to riding the bus into and out of the city. He speaks to the ‘home base’ - his own bedroom - on nights Dick sleeps over using walkie talkies. Dick stabilizes on his medicine, and designs his own persona under the name of ‘Robin’. They appear together several times as the school year begins, sharing more kisses and officially beginning to date, which promptly boosts Dick status from the new foreign special needs kid to the popular guy’s boyfriend. Their night-time appearances together decrease, as the focus on school work places a heavier stress on Dick. Bruce does his best to keep him in the loop. 

To everyone’s surprise, Bruce doesn’t go to college after he graduates. Instead, he fakes a drug overdose that catches the attention of the press and disappears from the public eye for ‘rehab’. He spends the next two years travelling the world and learning from experts, preparing for Batman’s return.

In Gotham, Dick struggles without Bruce there and goes off of his medicine, practically living out of his car as Harriet’s health declines. Alfred is finally made aware of Bruce’s masterplan, and reluctantly comes up with a way to help him. He serves as a helper for Dick, who appears occasionally as Robin on a motorcycle Bruce sends him from Germany. His appearances frequently lead to escalation of conflicts, and he acts violently on multiple occasions; all in an attempt to catch Bruce’s attention as his manic episode escalates to the point of psychosis. Alfred is concerned enough to track Bruce down and beg him to come back to Gotham, where he arrives to find Dick has shut down all opportunities for his future, including ruining his reputation, in an attempt to allow his civilian self to disappear, leaving only Robin. Bruce convinces Dick that he needs to seek inpatient care, and stays there to visit him (properly, this time) every day. At the end of it all, he gifts Dick a promise ring and invites him to officially move into the manor, where Alfred can both help him by making sure his medicine is taken properly and watch for any severe returning symptoms. Finally returning to stability, Robin is reborn as Nightwing, who is kind and just and loved by the public. Dick eagerly awaits for Bruce’s return.


End file.
